Thursday, October 20, 2011

India - Pakistan: Wars and Peace

Air Marshal (r) Asghar Khan here on Thursday revealed it was Pakistan that attacked India four times since 1947, whereas the neighbouring country did not do so even a single time.

“In the last over 60 years, India has never attacked Pakistan, as it can’t afford it. Indians know well, if Pakistan is destroyed, they will be the next target,” the veteran who was called a night flyer said at Imran Khan’s book launching ceremony here.

Imran Khan’s book is titled ‘Pakistan: A Personal History by Imran Khan.’

The nonagenarian said, “It was made our problem that one day India would invade us. But we did so four times and the first attack was on Kashmir, where Maharaja was not prepared to accede to India for he wanted to join Pakistan and waited for this for 21 days,” he recalled.

A galaxy of veteran military men, including generals (r) Talat Masood, Hameed Gul, diplomats such as Ashraf Jehangir Qazi and foreign diplomats was also a part of the select gathering.

“I shall decide on this after getting free,” remarked Qazi smilingly, when this correspondent asked him was he going to join PTI.

“That all is rubbish,” was Asghar Khan’s terse reply to a question by ‘The News’ after the function was over and he was having tea in a corner. He was asked that in school and college syllabi, students are always taught that it was India that mounted attacks on Pakistan and Pakistan only defended itself. In a reminiscent mood, Asghar Khan said in 1965, again, Pakistan quietly sent tanks to Jammu and when at function, he asked General Ayub Khan about it and warned that by doing so, Pakistan was asking for trouble, he expressed his complete ignorance about this development. But three days after he had met the general, India made incursions into Punjab. He also claimed East Pakistan tragedy happened because of inflexible attitude of some top influential politicians and the armed forces.For complete article, click here